Highs and Sighs: 2026 Suzuki GSX-8TT
Suzuki’s turned to its past when coming up with the design of the 2026 GSX-8TT. Specifically, we’re talking about the GS1000S, the granddaddy of AMA Superbike. These design influences include the new mini cowl around the round LED headlight, a bellypan, a reshaped fuel tank, and a slightly tweaked tail section (all when compared to the GSX-8S it’s based on). Mechanically, it’s basically the same GSX-8 we’ve come to know and love, except for one notable difference: the footpegs are slightly lower.
I had the chance to put the GSX-8TT through its paces and came away very impressed with the bike. That said, it certainly isn’t perfect. Let’s get right into it with three things I liked, and three things I didn’t, with the 2026 Suzuki GSX-8TT.
Photos: Nic de Sena
Highs: It looks great
I know looks are subjective, but I think the GSX-8TT looks the best out of the entire GSX-8 family. It’s classy without looking dated. That’s hard to do, especially since the bike’s inspiration is from the 1970s. I’m a fan of the minimal additions to the bodywork, the matte green paint with subtle stripes look good, and I’m especially a fan of the gold wheels. All kinds of bikes come and go when you test them for a living, but when I park the 8TT, I look back and give it one more stare. I really like it.
Highs: It’s surprisingly comfortable
It doesn’t sound like much, but the lower pegs made a world of difference in terms of comfort. Having ridden the GSX-8S and 8TT back to back made the difference even more noticeable. On the highway especially, the 8S put a tighter bend to my knee and perched me over the bars just a tiny bit. I’d stop well short of calling the bike uncomfortable, but the benefit of side-by-side comparison brought this to light. Conversely, when I rode the same stretch of freeway on the 8TT, I could immediately tell my knees weren’t bent as much, which amounted to feeling more relaxed through the entire stretch of road. The more I rode around town and through the streets, the more I came to appreciate the lower reach to the pegs and the overall difference in comfort. I realize I’ve dedicated two paragraphs to the fact Suzuki moved some pegs around, but Suzuki has a way of making a modest change that ends up having big impacts (I’m looking at you, GSX-S1000GT autoblipper…).
Highs: It hasn’t lost any of the GSX-8 character we like
Spinoffs of well-received motorcycles have one important job to remember: not losing the magic that made the original model so well liked in the first place. Thankfully, the GSX-8TT nailed it. The 776cc Parallel-Twin still hums as sweet as ever, and the chassis is well balanced with the engine package. It all works in harmony to create a fun, stylish ride.
Sighs: Low ground clearance
It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that with lower pegs comes lower ground clearance. To me, the tradeoff in comfort is worth the lean angle you give up when railing through corners. Then again, the 8TT can still hug a corner fairly well. Just take off the peg feelers first. While I did end up touching the peg down on the street (once), I did destroy the pegs when I took the 8TT to Chuckwalla. It wasn’t the ideal steed for a trackday, but sometimes when opportunity knocks, you answer with whatever you have at hand. That said, if corner carving is your thing, you’ll want a GSX-R, not a GSX-8.
Sighs: Suspension is a tad stiff
Generally speaking, budget suspension with little to no adjustment tends to be damped on the softer side. Oddly, that wasn’t the case with the 8TT. More to the point, the initial damping felt a smidge too stiff for my liking. It’s as though the valving inside the fork and shock can’t open quick enough to let the fluid through. Once past the initial phase, both ends settle nicely. Unless you’re on really choppy roads. There’s no helping you there. But the same can be said for a lot of bikes.
Sighs: There are arguably better bikes for the money
Saving the best…err, worst…for last. At the time of this review, the GSX-8TT costs $11,149. As much as I’m a fan of it, that’s a lot to ask of a bike with budget suspension, budget brakes, and falls well short of 100 horsepower. The Triumph Trident 660 ($9,995) and Yamaha XSR900 ($10,599) are just two examples of bikes we feel offer more bang for the buck and still keep the retro theme alive.
